The roster for the forthcoming two-match away Test series against Zimbabwe, which begins February 4, has been formally revealed by Cricket West Indies (CWI). Both games are set to take place at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The second and final Test begins on the 12th.
Meanwhile, CWI has recalled veteran fast Shannon Gabriel as well as left-arm spinners Gudakesh Motie and Jomal Warrican. However, the Windies will be missing one of its main players, Jayden Seales, who was unable to make himself available for selection owing to a knee ailment that required surgery.
Notably, Shannon Gabriel will return to the West Indies’ red-ball squad after a 15-month absence. His most recent Test performance was against Sri Lanka in November 2021. As a result, the bowler will now be looking to make an impression in Zimbabwe and secure his spot in the national Test team from now on.
Gabriel has 161 Test victories to his credit in 56 matches. In fact, the Trinidadian cricketer ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker in last November’s CG United Super50 Cup, when he represented the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
Prior to the Test series, the Windies will play a three-day warm-up match against a local team at Bulawayo Athletic Club from January 28 to 30.
The forthcoming Test series is meaningless and irrelevant for the Caribbean squad, since they are already out of contention for the WTC finals in 2021-23. The West Indies are sixth in the nine-team standings, and with the fight heating up between the top two teams, India and Australia, the Windies have little chance of reaching the cut.
